Method and apparatus for manufacture of drinking cups



June 2, 1 936. F. P. SWALLOW 2,043,018

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING CUPS Filed Feb. 12,1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l //V VE N 70/? franc/Is P 5Wa//0n June 2, 1936.

F. P. SWALLOW METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING CUP-SFiled Feb. 12, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Fran/r P Swal/om By M 204:

ATTORNEYS Jfine 2, 1936. p, sw ow 2,043,018

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING CUPS Fil'ed Feb. 12,-19.54 5 Sheets--Sheet 3 INVENTOR franc/s fiswm/aw BY @ta m/i w ATTORNEYS June 2, 1936. 2,043,018

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING curs F. P. SWALLOWFiled Feb. 12, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 4 m m m M mw m V5 in MP .A 5 M m Y Bm METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING CUPS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Feb. 12, 1934 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 2, 1936 PATENT OFF-ICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TUBE OFDRINKING CUP NnNUFAC- Francis P. Swallow, Worcester, Mass, assignor toUnited States Envelope Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation or MaineApplication February 12, 1934, Serial No. 710,944

15 Claims This invention relates to the manufacture of sanitary drinkingcups and is in the nature of an improvement upon the invention disclosedin the pending application of Abraham Novlck, Serial 420,127, filedJanuary 11, 1930, for Paper drinking cups and processes and apparatusfor manufacturing same.

In common with said application it is the object of the invention toproduce a cup having a substantially linear lower edge and asubstantially circular mouth, and having its sides uncreased. Inaccordance with the disclosure of said application a sector-like blankis placed adjacent a rounded, wedge-shaped male former and the blank iswrapped around the former and cross folded. The blank is subsequentlystripped longitudinally from the former.

It is an object of the present invention to form a cup without theutilization of a male former and thereby to obviate the necessity forthe stripping of the formed cup from the former. To this end provisionis desirably made of a concave former adapted to receive the blank andhaving a flattened reentrant portion which engages a longitudinalcentral zone of the blank. Provision is further made of a plunger fordepressing the blank into the former and of fingers adapted to be swungin through the larger end of the former to press opposite portions ofthe blank outward against the former and grip them so that the blank maybe retained in continuous contact with the former after the plunger isretracted. Provision is further made of folding plates arranged to swingin from the opposite sides of the blank after the plunger has beenretracted to press the side flap portions in overlapping relationagainst the fiat reentrant portion of the former and thus to form theside seam. The lower end of the blank is then folded over sharply aboutan edge or" one of the iolding plates, being caused to form an acuteangle with the adjacent side of the cup body. The foldinginstrumentalities are then retracted and the cup is freed from theformer, preferably by lowering the former while preventing movement ofthe cup.

The cup then springs to an open condition and is blown by a jet of airinto acurved chute. The cup drops through the chute into the uppermostcup of the stack of nested cups.

An oscillatory thrust member, operated in timed relation to the deliveryof the blank, engages the upper edge of each cup and presses it downfirmly into the stack. The stacked cups are disposed in a narrow portionof the chute against which they depressing of the stack. The folded tabis pressed snugly against the adjacent side of the cup when the cup isthrust into the stack and is held in contact with the side of the cup solong as the cup remains in the stack. This causes a good adhesive unionto be formed between the folded tab and the side of the cup.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings forming part of this specification and disclosing anillustrative embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating the concave formerand the instrumentalities associated therewith for operating upon theblank;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of substantially thesame parts illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the blank depressed intothe former by the plunger; I Fig. 4 is a view similar toFigs. 2 and 3but showing the plunger withdrawn and illustrating the action of theside folding plates on the blank;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional viewillustrating particularly the folding of the bottom tab;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the former depressed andthe blank dislodged from the former and about to be blown away;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the finished cup;

and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in elevation,

partly broken away showing the means for operating the various parts.

As in the mnding application of l-ibraham Noviok, herein before referredto, the apparatus disclosed is designed to act upon a sector-like blankl of paper or other suitable sheet material to form the same into adrinking cup having a substantially circular mouth and a linear base.The blank comprises the body portion 2 anda bottom tab portion 3.Preliminary to the folding of the blank adhesive 4 is applied to thebottom tab and adhesive 5 is applied along one margin of the bodyportion. The blank, with the adhesive applied, is located above aconcave former 6 with thelower end edges in engagement with locatingabutments l and with the side edges in engagement with locatingabutments 8.

The former 6 remains stationary during the folding of the blank. Aplunger 9, located above the middle of the former, carries a presserplate In at the lower end thereof which is adapted to be thrust into theformer and to press the central body portion of the blank intocontinuous engagement with the bottom of the former. The bottom of theformer has a reentrant portion H which is provided with a broad fiatupper surface l2. Former surfaces l3 incline downward from oppositesides of the surface l2 and merge into arcuate surfaces I4.

The centers of the surfaces l4 are desirably located in the plane of thesurface l2 and the surfaces are of sumcient angular extent to continuesubstantially above such plane so that at their upper ends they inclineinward to overhang and detain the depressed blank. The mouth of theformer, however, is made wide enough to accommodate the plunger plateIn.

When the plunger plate It] has been depressed to the positionillustrated in Fig. 3 holding fingers l5, which are segmental in form tofit the surfaces l4, swing inward through the open larger end of theformer to press opposite portions of the blank outward against thesurfaces l4 and to grip such portions of the blank securely to saidsurfaces. The fingers l5 are fixed on rocker arms l6 which areoscillated by connecting rods l1 in properly timed relation to the otherparts. After the fingers I5 have gripped the blank the plunger plate I0is withdrawn. In this withdrawing movement it pushes aside the side flapportlons l6 and I1 of the blank, but these flap portions immediatelyspring in substantially to the same positions illustrated in Fig. 3 assoon as the plunger plate has moved clear of them.

Folding plates I8 and I9 are next operated to fold in the flap portionsI6 and I1, respectively. Arms 23, fast on the folding plate l8, arefixed upon 2 rock shaft 2| journalled in ears 22 which, in theillustrated form, project from one side from the former 6. Arms 23, faston the plate l9, are fixed to a rock shaft 24 journalled in ears 25which project from the opposite side of the former 6. Provision is madefor operating the rock shafts 2| and 24 in timed relation to the otherinstrumentalities, the former shaft a little in advance of the latter sothat the gummed margin of the flap l1 will be superposed upon the marginof the .fiap I6. The folding plate I8 when folded in extends over aportion of the surface I2 and presses the fiap l6 fiat against saidsurface. The

plate I3 when folded in extends over the overlapping portions of theflaps l6 and I1 and presses them firmly together against the abutmentformed. by the surface I2 so that a good adhesive union is formed.

The plate l8 does not extend to the lower boundary of the body portionof the blank but is terminated short thereof so that the plate l9 mayhave a widened portion 26 which extends completely across the blank.This widened portion 26 of the plate I9 provides a continuous edgeportion about which the bottom tab is folded.

' With the plates still in place the bottom tab folder 21 is movedupward from beneath the tab through the successive positions illustratedat 21a and 21b to lift the tab, turn it over, and

'crease it sharply against the end edge 28 on the .portion 26 of plateIS. The edge 28 is beveled and the folding lip 29 of the folder 21extends at an angle corresponding to the bevel of the edge 28. The tabis therefore sharply creased but it is not folded down far enough tocause the adhesive to come into engagement with the plate 19. Folder 21is then retracted through substantially the same path through which itadvanced so that the folded tab is freed. The folding plates I8 and I9are then returned to their original outspread condition to leave theblank free.

The former 6 is pivotally mounted by arms 30 upon a shaft 3i in a fixedbracket 3 la. Throughout the operations thus far described the former 6is held stationary by a supporting rod 32 but after the plates l8 and I9have been returned to their outspread condition the rod 32 is drawndownward to depress the former 8. A stationary abutment rod 33 extendsupward into the passage 34 of the former and prevents the folded blankfrom moving downward with the former. The stationary rod 33 thus servesas a blank ejecter for freeing the blank from the former. As soon as themiddle portion of the blank is displaced a short distance from thesurface 12, the blank springs free of the former and the mouth of theblank springs open as illustrated in Fig. 6.

A nozzle 35 is located to point into the mouth of the blank in thisposition, and at the instant when the blank is freed the nozzle iscaused to blow a jet of air into the blank to drive the blank into acurved chute 36.

The chute is of larger cross-sectional area at its receiving end thanthe fully expanded mouth of the blank so that it offers no obstructionto the passage of the blank. The chute inclines down ward sharply sothat each blank descends by gravity, being assisted also in the descentby the jet of air.

Each blank comes to rest substantially in the dotted outline positionindicated at l a in Fig. 8, being detained in such position by reason ofthe fact that the convergent chute becomes narrower than the mouth ofthe blank at this point. A finger 31, pivoted at 38, extends into thechute through a slot 39' in a wall thereof. The finger 31 normallystands outside the chute in the position indicated by full lines at 31in Fig. 8 but at the appropriate time in the cycle of operations thefinger is drawn downward by a. connecting rod 39, to the position shownin dot-and-dash lines at 31a, to press the blank located at la firmlyinto stack l b. The finger 31 is thereafter retracted before the arrivalof another blank.

The lower vertical portion 40 of the chute is even narrower than theportion of the chute which arrested the blank in the position la, andsince a multiplicity of the nested cups is held under stress in thisnarrow vertical portion the stack resists depression with sufficientforce to cause the tab of the uppermost cup to be pressed firmly againstthe adjacent side of the cup so that a good adhesive union is formed.Each succeeding cup serves to support such wall of the preceding cupfrom within so that each tab is pressed between the adjacent walls ofthe cup of which it forms a part and of the cup which receives it andeach of these walls in turn is supported and reinforced by amultiplicity of walls of preceding and succeeding cups.

The stacked cups discharged from the chute are ready for packing andeach cup is formed as illustrated in Fig. 9.

Fig; 10 discloses operating mechanism for the various parts described.All of the parts shown are controlled'from a cam shaft C which isconstantly driven. A cam 4| on the shaft acts upon a follower 42 carriedby a bell crank 43. The bell crank 43 is journalled upon a shaft 44mounted 75 a shaft 55 carried by the frame.

The contourof the cam is such that the folding plate I8 is. swung upwardand inward at the appropriate time in the cycleand is permitted to bereturned to open position by the spring 48 at the appropriate time inthe cycle.

The folding plate It is operated by similar mechanism, including a bellcrank 43a, which is actuated from a cam on the shaft C.

The cam shaft C also has fast upon it a cam 49 whereby the presser plateI0 is actuated. The cam 49 acts upon a follower 50 carried by a lever BIwhich is pivoted by a stud 52 on the machine frame. The lever 5iactuates the connecting rod 53 which is connected to an arm 54journalled on The arm 5 has a pin and slot connection with the plunger 9for actuating the plunger.

serves to urge the connecting rod 53 upward and to maintain the follower58 in engagement with the cam as. The contour of the cam 49 is such thatthe presser plate H3 is lowered and raised at the appropriate times inthe cycle for carrying out the operations which heretofore have beendescribed.

The cam shaft C also carries a cam 57 and a cam Bid for operating thefingers It in the manner heretofore described. The cam El acts upon afollower 58 carried by a bell crank 5d. The bell crank 59 is pivoted bya stud 66 on a fixed portion of the frame at. The upper end of'the bellcrank 59 is connected to one of the connecting rods II. The mechanismdescribed may be duplicated for operating the other connecting rod H, aportion of a bell crank 59a being indicated and operable by the cam die.The contour of the cams 51 and tin are such that the fingers I 5 areadvanced and retracted at the appropriate times in the cycle garcarrying out the previously described operaons.

The cam shaft 0 also carries two cams (not shown) for actuating thefolding lip 2Q. One of the cams serves to draw downward upon aconnecting rodtl which is urged upward by a spring 52. The connectingrod 65 is connected to a rocking lever 52 journalled on a shaft 63,which shaft is carried by the machine frame. The rocking lever 52 isconnected to the lower end of the folder 2 and its primary function isto raise and lower the folder 2?. The other cam (not shown) .serves topull downward a connecting rod 64 which is normally urged upward by aspring 65. The connecting rod 6% is connected to a bell crank i565journalled on the shaft 63. The bell crank 68 is connected through alink 67 to the folder 211. The operating cams for the connecting rods 6iand E l-are of such contours that the folder 2? is first caused to swingupward and then inward to perform the folding operation.- When; thefolding has been performed the folder 21 is caused to, swing firstoutward and then downward.

The cam shaft C also carries a cam 68 for operating the concave former 6in the manner which has been described. The cam 68 acts upon a A spring56 connected to the lever 55 and to the machine frameshaft 0. Thesupporting rod 32 is normally urged upward by a spring I2 but is pulleddownward at the appropriate time in the cycle by the cam 69 todepressthe concave former 6. The air supplied .to the nozzle 35 is alsoconvalve mechanism (not shown).

The cam shaft C also carries a cam I3 for operating the finger 31 whichpresses the blanks into the chute 36. The cam I3 acts upon a camfollower I4 carried by a rocking lever I5. The lever I5 is pivotallysupported by a stud IS on a fixed part of the machine frame. The leverI5 is connected to the 'connectingrod 39 for actuating' the finger 31. Aspring 11, connected to the lever I5, normally maintains the finger 31in the position shown and the followerld in engagement with the cam I3.The contour of the cam.l3 is such that the finger is caused to be raisedand lowered at the appropriate times in the cycle for carrying out thedescribed operation.

Although the articles made by the machines and method of the presentinvention are referred to herein as drinking cups, it will be understoodthat the invention is not limited for use in the manufacture of suchcups, but that the articles made by the present invention are capable ofwidely diversified uses, as will be readily understood by those skilledin the art. 7

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiment of myinvention. I do not wish, however. to be confined to the embodimentsshown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. ma machine for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination; aconcave former having a flat central reentrant portion and curved siderecesses, means for depressing a blank into conformity with the bottomof the former, means for clamping the blank in said recesses, and meansfor folding side portions of the blank into over- .lapping relationagainst the reentrant portion of the former to unite the same.

2. In a machine for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, aconcave former having a flat central reentrant portion and curved siderecesses, means for depressing a blank into conformity with the bottomof the former, means r for clamping the blank in said recesses, andfolding,plates operable to fold side portions of the blankv successivelyagainst the reentrant portion of the former to overlap and unite saidportions.

3. In a machine for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, aconcave former having a smooth central reentrant portion and curved siderecesses, means for depressing a blank into conformity with the bottomof the former, means for clamping the blank in said recesses, foldingplates operable to fold side portions of the blank successively againstthe reentrant portion of the former to overlap and unite said portions,and means for creasing the lower end portion of the blank about one ofsaid plates.

4. In a machine for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, aconcave former having a smooth central reentrant portion and curved siderecesses, means for depressing a blank into conformity with the bottomof the formenmeans for clamping the blank in said recesses, foldingplates, operable to fold sideportions of the blank successively againstthe reentrant portion of the former to overlap and unite said portions,means for creasing the lower end portion of the blank about one of saidplates, a chute, and means for trolled from the cam shaft C throughsuitable delivering the formed blank into the chute to cause it to beadded to a stack of nested cups.

5. Ina machinefor making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, aconcave former having a smooth central reentrant portion and curved siderecesses, means for depressing a blank into conformity with the bottomof the former, means for clamping the blank in said recesses, foldingplates operable to fold side portions of the blank successively againstthe reentrant portion of the former to overlap and unite said portions,means for creasing the lower end portion of the blank about one of saidplates, a, chute, means for delivering each formed blank into the chuteto cause it to be added toa stack of nested cups, the chute being narrowenough to resist movement of the cup stack along it, and means forpressing each added cup into the stack and feeding the stack along thechute through the pressure exerted upon the added cup.

6. In a machine for making sanitary drinking cups from blanks of elasticsheet material, means for folding each blank while retaining the naturaltendency thereof to spring outward, means for freeing the formed blankfrom the former to permit the mouth of the blank to spring open, andmeans for conveying the blank away from the former, said meanscomprising a blower for directing a jet of air into the open mouth ofthe blank.

7. In a machine for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, aformer having an open end'and an open side, plunger means movablethrough the open side of the former to insert a cup blank into theformer, means movable through the open end of the former to grip the cupblank in the former when the plunger means is withdrawn, means forfolding the blank into cup form in the former, and means for ejectingthe formed blank through the open side of the former.

8. The method for making sanitary drinking cups which comprisesproviding a sector-like blank, forming elastic loops of the blankmaterial at opposite sides of a longitudinal central zone of the blank,folding opposed marginal portions of the blank outside said loops intooverlapping relation, supporting said marginal portions against thelongitudinal central zone of the blank while pressing them together tounite them, and folding the end portion of the blank against the sidewall of the folded blank to form a bottom closure.

' 9. The method of making sanitary drinking cups which comprisesproviding a sector-like blank, overlapping and uniting longitudinalmarginal portions of the blank, creasing a gummed bottom end portion ofthe blank crosswise sufficiently to cause it to point toward the top ofthe blank but insufficiently to cause it to lie against the blank, andpressing the formed blank into a nested stack of previously formed cups,to cause said end portion to lie against and adhere to the side wall ofthe cup.

10. The method of making sanitary drinking cups which comprisesproviding a sector-like blank, overlapping and uniting longitudinalmarginal portions of the blank, without creasing the blank lengthwise,creasing a gummed bottom end portion of the blank crosswise sufficientlyto cause it to point toward the top of the blank but in- Imfliciently tocause it to lie against the blank,

and pressing the blank within a previously formed cup to press thefolded end portion of the blank against the side portion of the blankand thereby cause said side and end portions to become adhesivelyunited.

11. The method of making sanitary drinking cups which comprisesproviding a sector-like blank, bending the blank to form opposite loopswhile supporting an intermediate portion in a plane between the upperand lower limits of the formed loops, pressing opposite marginalportions of the blank into overlapping relation and against thesupported intermediate portion to adhesively unite the marginal portionswhile maintaining the natural resiliency of the side material of theblank unimpaired, so that the formed blank tends to spring open whenpermitted to do so, causing the formed blank to spring open, and blowingair into the sprung open blank to blow the blank away from the point atwhich it is formed.

12. In an apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups, a concave former,the cavity of the former having a tapering or wedge-shaped mouth, curvedside recesses for curling a blank and. turning said marginal portionsthereof inward, and a raised central base portion against which themarginal portions may be pressed.

13. In an apparatus for making sanitary'drinking cups, a concave former,the cavity of the former being wedge-shaped, having curved side recessesfor curling a blank and turning said marginal portionsthereof' inward,and having a raised central base portion against which the marginalportions may be pressed, and means for pressing the blank into saidformer.

14. The method of making containers of sheet material, which comprisesproviding a sector-like blank having a central portion and a pair ofside portions having convergent edges, folding one side portion toprovide an elastic loop of tapering cross section between such sideportion and the central portion and to change the angular disposition ofthe outer edge of the side portion and lay said outer edge directlyagainst the said cen: tral portion, folding the other side portion toprovide an elastic loop of tapering cross-section between such sideportion and the central portion and to change the angular disposition ofthe outer edge of the side portion and lay said outer edge over theouter edge of the other side portion, and pressing the said overlappingportions against said central portion to unite them.

15. The method of making containers of sheet material, which comprisesproviding a sector-like blank having a central portion and a pair ofside portions having convergent edges, folding one side portion toprovide an elastic loop of tapering cross section between such sideportion and the central portion and to change the angular disposition ofthe outer edge of the side portion and lay said outer edge directlyagainst the said central portion, folding the other side portion toprovide an elastic loop of tapering cross section between such sideportion and the central portion and to lay said outer edge over theouter edge of the other side portion, pressing the said overlappingportions against said central portion to unite them, and folding thenarrower end portion of the blank transversely to form a bottom closure.

FRANCIS P. SWALLOW.

